Infineon TLE9250VLE: A Comprehensive Overview of the High-Speed CAN Transceiver for Automotive Networks
The evolution of automotive electronics towards greater connectivity, automation, and electrification has placed unprecedented demands on in-vehicle networking. At the heart of this communication lies the Controller Area Network (CAN), a robust and widely adopted protocol. The Infineon TLE9250VLE stands as a pivotal component in this ecosystem, a high-speed CAN transceiver designed to meet the rigorous requirements of modern automotive applications.
This integrated circuit serves as the critical interface between a microcontroller's protocol handler and the physical CAN bus lines. It is engineered to translate digital signals from the controller into differential analog signals for transmission over the bus, and vice versa for reception. The TLE9250VLE is fully compliant with the ISO 11898-2:2016 standard, ensuring interoperability and reliability across the automotive industry.
A key strength of the TLE9250VLE is its robust electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Operating in the electrically harsh environment of a vehicle, where interference from motors, alternators, and other systems is common, this transceiver is built to maintain signal integrity. It features high ESD robustness of up to ±8 kV (IEC 61000-4-2), significantly enhancing system reliability and reducing the need for additional external protection components.
Furthermore, the device incorporates advanced failure mode and diagnostic capabilities. It continuously monitors its own status and the bus conditions, providing detailed error flag reporting to the host microcontroller. This includes detection of short circuits to battery voltage or ground, overtemperature conditions, and bus dominant timeouts (TXD dominant timeout). Such diagnostics are crucial for functional safety, aligning with standards like ISO 26262 for safety-related applications.
Power efficiency is another critical design parameter. The TLE9250VLE features a very low-current sleep and standby mode, which is essential for today's vehicles that require various partial networking scenarios to minimize quiescent current and extend battery life. It can be woken up either by a local wake request via the WAKE pin or by a remote wake-up pattern detected on the bus.
Housed in a small, green SG-TSON-14 package, the transceiver is optimized for space-constrained applications. Its AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualification guarantees operation across the demanding automotive temperature range of -40°C to +125°C, making it suitable for placement anywhere in the vehicle, from the comfortable cabin to the harsh underhood environment.
ICGOOODFIND: The Infineon TLE9250VLE is a highly integrated, robust, and diagnostically rich high-speed CAN transceiver. It is a cornerstone technology for building reliable and safe in-vehicle networks, offering superior EMC performance, comprehensive fault detection, and low-power operation essential for next-generation automotive architectures.
Keywords: CAN Transceiver, Automotive Networks, ISO 11898-2, EMC Robustness, Functional Safety
